Kalimera, I was in Souda/Plakias from 1 October to 15 November.
I've been coming to Plakias regularly since 2014 in the early or late season. Either directly in Plakias, Damnoni/Plakias or Souda/Plakiss:. This year I spent 2 weeks in Souda/Plakias in April and from 1 October to 15 November in Souda/Plakias.
According to scientific research, the apostle Paul is said to have set foot on Cretan soil in Souda Bay to the west of Plakias and preached the words of Jesus Christ in the village of Finikia, which was situated above the bay at the time.
The former settlement of Finikia with the monastery of St Michael the Archangel, of which only ruins remain to this day, survived with only a few inhabitants until the beginning of the 20th century.
The monks left the monastery in 1900 and handed over the extensive property to the municipality of Sellia.
The last inhabitants of Finikia left in 1915. Today, the reconstruction of the monastery has been completed. The restored monastery building also houses the former Folklore Museum of Sellia.
The village of Plakias is an ideal base for exploring the beaches in Plakias and the surrounding area, as well as the neighbouring villages.The first few days (end of September and beginning of October) the weather on the south coast was still a bit bumpy, with lots of wind and occasional rain. Then, until 14 November, the weather was consistently good and there was no wind.
I didn't notice any major changes in Plakias compared to April. The new "promenade" was almost finished. Work continued on 1 November.
Construction is of course still going on, at the end of the village behind the supermarket on the left-hand side, at Paligremnos Beach and also between Souda and Selia.
In 2005, a private hotel investor tried to build a hotel complex on the Gonatas cliffs (the landmark of Plakisa) at Paligremnos Beach. Fortunately, this project was prevented by protests.
Unfortunately, the small organic food shop/vegetable shop in the side street closed at the end of October. What a shame, I always enjoyed shopping here.
In the Plakias mill valley, the old cave church at the Chatsis mill no longer exists; it was badly damaged by a rockfall and replaced by a new church.
The grounds and buildings of the Tzambetis monastery mill are being restored and new buildings constructed. Accommodation in rustic stone houses and a taverna called "Manelis Mills Estate" are being built here.
There was regular live music at Cafe Armyriki, Gorgona, the Seaside taverna, the Sifis taverna and the Galini taverna in Souda/Plakias.
The beaches (Souda, Paligremnos and Damnoni) were much more paved with umbrellas/sunbeds compared to last year.
It was nice to see the first umbrellas being taken down again at the end of October. Now the beaches were once again pleasing to the eye.
The prices in Souda were 4Euro-6Euro at Paligremnos Beach 6Euro-10Euro, at Damnoni Beach also 10Euro. At Ammoudaki Beach 10Euro and on the terraces 20Euro (!), Skinaria Beach 8Euro.
The prices in the supermarkets, tavernas, cafes and bars have also risen. For example, in the Smerna Bar (where I like to sit) a small bottle of Radler costs 3.50Euro, no cocktail under 10Euro. In some tavernas in Plakias and the surrounding area you no longer get water as a welcome drink, a reason for me to avoid the place.
The tavernas and cafes were all very busy at all times.
The price of olive oil has also risen sharply. The price for 1 litre was between 10Euro and 13Euro. The olive harvest in Plakias and the surrounding area was more or less cancelled. The trees were empty. An acquaintance harvested 3000 litres last year and 90 litres this year. There will be a shortage of olive oil in Crete (and globally) in 2024.
Major fires, sweltering summer heat, devastating rainfall - olive growers around the Mediterranean have been spared little this year. Spain, the world's largest olive oil producer, will halve its production. And things are also looking bleak in Italy, Tunisia and Greece: Halving of harvests and oil production, enormous damage to plantations caused by heat and water.
When I wasn't at the beach, I went on excursions and hikes:- the Plakias Mill Valley in the Kotsifou Gorge (A trip to the Plakias Mill Valley, with its impressive old water mills, is always worth a visit).
- around Cape Kako Mouri, near Plakias
- Museum in Asomatos
- Cypress forest in Agios Ioannis
- Waterfalls in the Kourtaliotiko gorge
- Monastery of Kato Moni Preveli (Moni Mega Potamou)
- Museum in Spilli and hike to the church of Agio Pnevma (Holy Spirit)
- Hike from the village of Kanevenos - highlands of Lakkoudia - Mariou
- Agios Onoufrios cave church (above Mariou)
- Frangokastello
- Ag. Marini Beach/Peristeres Beach
- Agia Galini
- Kommos beach and Pitsidia
- Koules in Koxare and the villages of Atsipades and Katsogrida
- Karantale Gorge between the villages of Agios Ioannis and Saitoures
- Kambos plateau, above Sellia
- Hike in the mountains above Sellia
Hiking report:
https://plakias-finikas.net/wandern-im-wilden-finikas/- Mycenaean principality in Orne (on the eastern foothills of Kedros)
https://plakias-finikas.net/archaeologische-funde-zum-mykenischen-fuestentum-in-orne/At the end of October, the first tavernas, supermarkets and boutiques/souvenir shops gradually closed. On 14 November, the bakery also closed, it had been open every day for 7 months.
By the beginning of November, most of the tavernas and shops in Plakias and the surrounding area had closed for the season. The tourists were also (almost all) gone. Now you could see more locals and a few residents again. There were also a few camper vans.
I particularly enjoyed the first half of November. The peace and quiet and the atmosphere returned, no more tourists, the beaches were back to their natural state, the parasols and sunbeds were taken down and there were hardly any people on the beaches.
This was now "my" Crete again...Plakias:is located on the Libyan Sea, about 35 kilometres from Rethymnon and has around 325 permanent residents and belongs to the municipality of Agios Vasilios. The name probably refers to the sandstone slabs in the bay (plaka - πλάκα = slab). In the past, there was no settlement here at all; the bay only served as an anchorage for fishermen from the villages of Sellia and Mirthios during the summer. It was out of the question as a natural harbour simply because of the conditions (high winds and high tide); in addition, larger boats or ships could not anchor here due to the shallow water.
Plakias was first mentioned as a settlement in 1961, when six fishermen and their families settled here. Even before that, the first globetrotters had been arriving since the end of the 1950s, mostly Australians, English and Germans.
Real tourist development then began in the 70s and intensified in the 80s. In recent decades, the once small fishing village has developed into a popular holiday destination with many hotels/apartments and is now a well-known tourist "hotspot" on the south coast of Crete!
In summer, Plakias is very crowded and Plaki?s is known for the fact that the Meltimi often blows in summer.
The good infrastructure in Plakias is also an advantage: many supermarkets, tavernas, bakeries, butchers, fish shops, pharmacies, ATMs etc.
In Plakias you have a large selection of tavernas. There are also good tavernas in the neighbouring villages of Sellia, Mariou, Myrthios and Lefkogia. All of which are also very popular and can be reached by car in 5-10 minutes.
There are also many cafes, bars and a few good beach bars on Paligremnos beach in Plakias. Then there are some cosy pubs for watching football.
Plakias is, of course, not a developed town like Agia Galini, Paleochora or Kalyves, where the locals live all year round. The town consists almost exclusively of accommodation, tavernas and supermarkets.
It is 45 minutes by car from Rethymnon and Plakias is also quite central on the south coast.
Plakias:https://plakias-guide.gr/index-en.htmlhttps://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/plakias.htmlDiscover Plakias & Spili... on Foot:
https://www.discoveronfoot.com/our-books/discover-plakias-spili-on-footOverview of the beaches:Plakias: https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/plakias-beachSouda: https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/souda-beach-plakiasDamnoni: https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/damnoni-beach-plakias
Ammoudaki, Klisidi, Ammoudi: https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/ammoudi-beaches-plakiasSkinaria: https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/skinaria-beachThe eastern beaches of Plaki?s are all managed (except for Klisidi). Damnoni has 3 taverns, all of which have a very good reputation. Furthermore a bar and a canteen. Ammoudaki also has a beach bar and kantina. Ammoudi has a beach bar that has a very good reputation. There is also a tavern on Skinaria Beach.
Preveli Beach:https://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/preveli.htmlhttps://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon/preveli-beachDuring the season, several excursion boats run from Plakias via Damnoni to the palm-lined beach of Preveli.
Plakias and the surrounding area is always worth a visit...kalo chimonas (καλό χειμώνας), kv
